Sen. John McCain picked up an endorsement Tuesday from a past rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

(CNN) - Mitt Romney endorsed Sen. John McCain, one of the former Massachussetts governor's main competitors for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, for re-election to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

"Senator McCain's record of service and sacrifice for America is honored by all," Romney said in a statement. "But I believe that it is his core values of courage, faith and honor – forged in battle and confirmed by a lifetime of service to America – that make Senator McCain's leadership in the United States Senate so necessary in these perilous times."

Romney said it is "hard to imagine the United States Senate without John McCain."

McCain faced off with Romney in 16 Republican primary debates but bowed out of the primary race after the Super Tuesday contests.

McCain faces a primary challenge from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth.

Over the past few weeks, McCain has announced endorsements from top conservatives like Dick Armey of FreedomWorks and Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Last month, McCain's 2008 running mate, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, announced that she would travel to Arizona to campaign with McCain in late March. Palin's popularity with voters on the right could help McCain with some Republican voters who question his commitment to conservative values and goals.

Sen. Scott Brown, whose victory in last month's special senate election in Massachusetts energized the GOP, has also said he'll stump with McCain early next month. And Arizona's Republican congressional delegation announced last week that it will support the four-term senator.

soundoff(77 Responses)

TAMMY

Romney said it is "hard to imagine the United States Senate without John McCain."

no it 's not ... I imagine it everyday

February 23, 2010 10:10 am at 10:10 am |

joe m

it should never be the case that it should be hard to see any public office without the precense of some figure. mccain has done a lot during his term, but like so many, he may have been in washington for far too long. we need not loose his experience, but it may also help if we have new ideas and leadership take the helm. when any politicial seat becomes linked to one individual, we run the risk that the priorities of the public becomes secondary to that of the person's. for both dems and reps, it may be a good idea to send those who've been there too long back home, so that they can see what it is that regular americans have to deal with, rather than continue to be insulated in their own little world.

February 23, 2010 10:11 am at 10:11 am |

rs

McCain is much better than his failed Presidential bid, and should be re-elected- especially if J.D. Hayworth is the alternative. Living in AZ., and witnessing JD's xenophobic spews, links to Abramoff, and other questionable acts make me glad he is no longer our Representative. He IS NOT the future of the Republican Party or Arizona.

February 23, 2010 10:11 am at 10:11 am |

CS from VA

This is Mitt's "join-me-at-the-hip" moment as he starts greasing his skids for 2012. Can't be about policy, as McCain keeps flip-flopping on his views, just as Mitt did before his governorship in Massachusetts ended.

February 23, 2010 10:12 am at 10:12 am |

Aunt Bea and Opie

Grover Norquist"shrink democracy till we can drown it in the bathtub" and Dick Armey should be on wanted posters next to Bin Laden.

February 23, 2010 10:14 am at 10:14 am |

diridi

replace this old junk with the new one...dog does not matter....I think we should pass term limits on senate.....ok....it is the time to pass to make the nations mission workable....Romney is an idiot...

February 23, 2010 10:18 am at 10:18 am |

John J, IN

Gotta love the Republican hypocrisy. They don;t even try to hide it, they just hope that their believers are too stupid to notice.

February 23, 2010 10:21 am at 10:21 am |

walleye

The blind leading the blind here.

February 23, 2010 10:21 am at 10:21 am |

geecee

Mitt – Many of us find it hard to imagine the U.S. Senate without Ted Kennedy, but somehow life goes on and we manage. So, McCain can be put out to pasture without the government falling apart. In fact, it might get better without him. We just need to find a strong Democrat to run in AZ and beat Haywood. Can't have too many teabaggers getting elected to Congress. Things are bad enough without more obstructionists to gridlock the Country!!

February 23, 2010 10:25 am at 10:25 am |

BWall

Big shocker... anyone surprised that Romney is pandering? The man would sell what's left of his soul to be president.

February 23, 2010 10:26 am at 10:26 am |

jbakaregit

So?

McCain just said 2 days ago that Bush was the one who told him to suspend his campaign. 2 days before that, he said he's against cap&trade. Both of these events are recorded in his campaign book Game Change as policy he favored and events that happened respectively.

Goodbye Senator McCain.

February 23, 2010 10:28 am at 10:28 am |

johnrj08

Anybody, even John McCain, would be better than this clown Hayworth. Hayworth is just Rush Limbaugh with a little more hair. A blowhard of the first degree who shouldn't be allowed in Congress on principle alone.

February 23, 2010 10:29 am at 10:29 am |

Kate

It is time for McCain to go. It is time for someone else that has more character than he has and the courage to stand up for the American people, and to help the American people, and not be a party of NO all the time. He has one agenda.....do whatever it takes to see that President Obama fails. Being patriotic doesn't only mean to fight in the military for our country. It also means to defend this country through hard economic times and to be there for the American citizens. McCain isn't that patriotic. He needs to go......back to Arizona and his riches.

February 23, 2010 10:30 am at 10:30 am |

Ann

One liar backs another liar...LOL

February 23, 2010 10:30 am at 10:30 am |

hello!

Romney following Palin's lead....
Can't wait to see the size of the crowd in AZ that will gather to see and hear PALIN/McCain 🙂

February 23, 2010 10:32 am at 10:32 am |

Chuck Anaheim, Ca

What core values is he talking about? McCain is now flip flopping like a freshly caught tuna on the deck of a fishing boat.

February 23, 2010 10:33 am at 10:33 am |

Gil Oberdas

I wonder how that sits with CPAC and their teabuggers trying to unseat incumbants? Nice to see that 5 republicans refused to be the Boehner-McConnell zombies that the rest of the party of No has become. Jobs relief needs to be done and a republican filibuster would just be more proof of their Party of NO nickname fitting! Brown from Mass. even gets this liberals praise!

February 23, 2010 10:35 am at 10:35 am |

carlos

armey, norquist, palin and now romney......endorsements??????.....better yet, call them kisses of death......he is going out of the senate and the sooner the better.......cheater...

February 23, 2010 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ

Hayworth has some serious endorsements to struggle against. I have to say that Hayworth can still show the two sides he sees of McCain. If that gets enough play on the air and in enough circles, then McCain could lose it.

February 23, 2010 10:39 am at 10:39 am |

Jim D.

Scratch Romney from my list. He will soon learn that McCain is no where close to being what conservatives want, expect, and demand.

Bayh, bayh, John McCain

*Ron Paul taking the CPAC nod is only this....there is almost a Libertarian mindset for reducing governement right now.

February 23, 2010 10:39 am at 10:39 am |

Jin

Evidently both the pots and kettles are actually black. America deserves better than old white men as political choices!

February 23, 2010 10:41 am at 10:41 am |

Tony

"Ticker: Former enemy backs McCain"

Leave it CNN to Headline it like this...............

Could you also say that Obama hired former enemy Clinton as Sec of State?????

February 23, 2010 10:44 am at 10:44 am |

Dan

That's no surprise. Romney's voting record shows he is a liberal Republican. Of course he would support liberal McCain.

February 23, 2010 10:45 am at 10:45 am |

mk

Please, where does the GOP get these two faced bastards? What a saps they are, the both of them freakin losers.

February 23, 2010 10:46 am at 10:46 am |

ran

If the great people of AZ want real change and get anything done then they would vote for either a Democrat or an Independent. So it is up to the people to decide if they want gridlock/fear/hate/obstructionism/purity to continue by voting in another 6 yrs of McCain/Republican or go for real change and vote for either a Democrat or Independent.

McCain or anther Republican will on give you the same old tired fear/hate/obstructionism/purity ideology and once again gridlock. People of AZ and the other 49 states we can really get our country back if we vote out all the fear/hate/obstructionist/purity Republicans and blue dogs like nelson and independents like Lieberman and replace them with true Democrats or Independents.